She’s played a gorgeous gangster, a fiery cop, a grieving mother, and a woman wronged, but the vivacious Varalaxmi Sarathkumar is never just about the role she plays. With each performance, from the haunting intensity of Sarkar to the raw power of Danny, the layered vulnerability of Kondraal Paavam, and the fierce resolve in Tharai Thappattai, the stunning star has carved a space that defies typecasting. Off-screen, she’s just as compelling, unfiltered, fearless, and deeply grounded. In a film industry that often tends to favour the predictable, Varu, (as she’s fondly called) is a storm that refuses to settle. We sat down with the actress who’s redefining what it means to be a leading woman on her own terms.

You played a diverse set of characters from fierce to intense and even vulnerable. What do you look for in a role when you read a script?
From day one, it’s always been about the script being the hero. And can the film be made without me in it? That’s always the question I ask myself. If that character is not important enough that you’re not going to miss it, then it’s not worth my time. But if it’s vital that my role makes an impact or you need that role for a film to move forward, then I take it up.

So how did it all start? Can you recall your first film and how it came your way? And did it help with your dad already being an influential name in the industry?
Yes, my struggle was a little different because my dad was already in the industry, and he did not want us to enter the industry. He was very clear that he didn’t want us to enter films. But then I struggled and fought and tried to convince him that this is where I want to be. That’s how Podaa Podi started. It was a dance film and I was into theatre that time. So, with my theatrical background and my love for music and dance, I felt I should do a lot of good work in cinema and eventually that seemed like the right step. I felt like being in front of the camera was just like being at home. That was something which I really enjoyed. I fell in love with acting as it came naturally to me.

Did you have to face allegations of being a “Nepo baby”? Was there any pressure being the daughter of Sarathkumar or did you take it in your stride?
The good thing is at that time when I was launched this Nepo drama and social media drama was not there. In fact, it was the other way around. There was a lot of love showered when an actor’s kid was entering the industry who they admired. There were a lot of expectations, but there were no negative expectations. Everyone hoped for me to do well and luckily enough my movies did well, and my acting skills were appreciated by the world. Fortunately, or unfortunately for the current generation it’s different. The world then was a better place.

It was a nicer time in those days because there was no social media to try and give you that pressure that you have today. And we didn’t meet that many people to give us pressure. I think if you believe in yourself and you have talent on your own then there’s no need to worry. You don’t need anybody’s approval, because automatically people are going to see what you’re doing and what you’re capable of. Yes, I have a lineage, but then it does not mean I misuse it. I never really wanted to be famous because I was his daughter. I have created an identity for myself on my own terms.

Is there any lesson your dad has taught you?
His discipline, his pure perseverance, his discipline and his fighting spirit.

Last year you surprised your fans when you met Nicholai Sachdev and then you announced your marriage to him. How did you both meet and get married?
Our story is a little bit like a movie, but it’s true. We met, 16 years ago on the hills of Munnar, very randomly and sparked a conversation over a simple chit chat. But then for different reasons, we couldn’t be together for a while. Then there was this immediate soul connect that happened and although we didn’t meet for 16 years, we would always wish each other on birthdays and other important days and text each other from time to time to check on what’s happening in each other’s lives. So, when we met after such a long gap, it was like as if no time had passed and immediately within a month of our meeting he met my dad, talked to my family, asked for my hand in marriage and within two months we were engaged. Everything went on in supersonic speed. So, I think there’s always a right time for everything. Sometimes things don’t work out for a reason and then it comes into your life again and it works out for different reasons.

So what did you like about him?
A lot of things. It’s about how two people and how they kind of bond with each other and react to one another’s likes and dislikes. He loves very fiercely. He’s like me a little bit and I’m like him. In most ways we’re very similar. We’re both no nonsense people. We’re very frank and sometimes extremely blunt. And we both love like crazy and we’re extremely loyal.

Your debut in Podaa Podi was like a romantic musical, but you’ve also off late taken up darker and more complex roles. Was this evolution organic?
Yes, it was… to a certain extent. I think there’s enough people to play certain roles. And I feel there’s a vacuum, a kind of void for a certain kind of roles and that’s the void which I have chosen to fill. I find that a little more satiating than just being a regular, you know, come and go kind of a person. That’s something which I prefer doing. Not out of disrespect for anybody. I feel I fit well into these roles. I feel I can perform more and play more intense characters.

How do you prepare emotionally and mentally for these high intensity roles?
I can’t lie and say that there’s no preparation. My only preparation are my dialogues. I’m very particular that I get my dialogues the previous day and I have to make sure that I’m always on point with my lines. That way we don’t have to waste anybody’s time on set as well. I learn my lines well and then whatever performance follows is spontaneous. This has been working well for me for many years now. I can’t prep for a role thinking I’m going to do the scene like this or that as it doesn’t work for me. It’s just something quantitative. It comes spontaneously on the set.

You’re also now playing supporting roles. Was that a conscious decision?
I don’t like to be typecast. I don’t think there is anything like supporting or negative roles. I feel it’s all acting. And as an actor, if you do something, you’re an actor. An actor does not know small, big, medium or large. You should be able to do anything, be confident about it and you will get noticed. That’s it. Very simple.

Can you recall some fun moments from the sets of Sarkar, Krack or Tharai Thappattai?
Lots of memories. I broke a lot of bones in Tharai Thappattai. Sarkar started a very lovely, friendship between various people, Vijay sir and Yogi Babu. It created a few more relationships in terms of friendships and Veera Simha Reddy and Krack was a start of my second life in Telugu cinema, so I’ll never forget Krack. I’ve always been indebted to Gopi sir because he kickstarted my Telugu career and after that there has been no turning back.

You’ve been vocal about a lot of issues, like sexual harassment, gender and inequality. And you must have faced a little bit of backlash as well. How did you navigate through?
You know, surprisingly, I don’t think I’ve got backlash. I’ve been more of a voice for the voiceless. And when people hear my voice, they tell me that they’re so glad that they are able to voice certain things. Like when I earlier spoke about child abuse on the show, they thought that child abuse is something which never happened to stars or never happened to actors but it’s normal. Almost 90% of women go through child abuse. A lot of boys also go through child abuse. It should be spoken about. I think people just tend to think that actors have this thing for perfection. It’s not perfection. It’s not a perfect word.

It takes a whole team in a village to get you to look like that but that’s not reality. Everybody has a story. Everybody has a past. Everybody has a life. So, I think actors also should start getting vocal about their issues that people know that it’s normal and everybody goes through these things and you’re not alone. When I spoke about it, I got tons of messages saying, thank you for speaking up because we can talk to our parents about it because you voiced it out on your platforms. If you have the power to voice something out, you should do it.

Tell us something about the Save Shakti Foundation, an NGO focused on various social causes that you started?
Yes, that was my NGO. And I was one of the first people to talk about the “Me too” campaign when nobody had spoken about it before. People said, you’re going to get your career affected. I said, yes, but it has to be spoken about. Something which is not right is not right. You can’t hush it up because it’s going to affect your work.

Did it affect your work?
A lot of people were scared to work with me because there were certain things that were happening that people had to do in order to be in certain kind of films. And so, I’m okay not doing that. It’s fine. It was a slow and steady journey, but I’m okay going through that because my dignity and integrity was a lot more superior and lot more important to me than anything else.

So do you think the industry has changed since then?
I hope so. Well, I hope it has for everybody’s sake. And I think it is slowly changing because a lot of people are calling out people now. That’s good. It’s not like before where you can just get away with things. Now you have social media. You tend to post something that is good or bad, but whatever it is, you are able to expose, certain things. So, I think that way things are better.

Also, do you think there are finally better roles for women?
It’s a slow arch up but at least it’s up. It’s going upward and there are lot more female centric films now. People are writing more, and people are now looking forward to it more as well.

What do you like to do in your me-time?
I like to travel and spend time with my family. I don’t like to meet too many people. I like to sit at home by myself with my doggies. Now I have my husband too, so I like to spend time with him. I also meet my parents whenever I travel. I’m quite a home bird. Lot of people make fun of me saying – no one will call you because anyway you won’t come. So, people have stopped calling me because I don’t step out anywhere. I like to sit in the house, watch a good film, go to a movie theatre sometimes, or eat good food. I’m a massive foodie. So, I like to go to my favourite restaurants. If I let myself go all out with my food choices, then I’m gone. But I do try out my favourite dishes sometimes. I’m a very simple person. I have simple needs, like meet my friends, laugh and play a bunch of games in the house and chill.

How do you balance it all now?
I don’t think anybody should be balancing anything. I feel it’s a part of your life and I think my husband is very sweet. I’m lucky to have him. I think he understands my work more than I did. In fact, he’s more supportive of my career than I was. So, I think that’s how it should be. Marriage should not change anything. Marriage is a companionship you’re creating with somebody. It shouldn’t change your lifestyle. You should not be balancing anything. It is life is a part of your life. It’s not like it’s asking a child how do you manage your parents with your work? No, your parents are your parents. So, your husband is your husband, he’s a part of your life. So, you are a part of his life. All of it has to just flow.

So, how often do you guys meet?
Most of the time if I if he’s busy and if I’m not working, I go to him in Bombay or if I’m shooting then he comes to me in Hyderabad and we have few days off we just take off and travel. So, we’re in each other’s space depending on how each one’s work is placed.

What are some of your favourite travel destinations?
We go very often to Dubai because it’s the closest holiday destination. Now we went to Sri Lanka recently because I was filming for a Hollywood film there. So, he said, look, I’ll come along with you and spend a few days with you this way. I stayed back after the shoot, and we were chilling. Also, it was our anniversary recently, so we went to Maldives and came back.

Tell us about your Hollywood film.
It was a good film. The first time I got the call for it I thought it was a spam call. I laughed when the call came. And then they started having a serious conversation and then the director came online. I said, okay, but still, I don’t believe this. Because a lot of people these days turn out to be fraudulent. So, I laughed throughout the process till the money came into the account. And then I was like, oh, they’re being serious about it. But till then I didn’t believe that there’s going to be a Hollywood touch to it, until everyone landed there and I saw the Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons and I was like, okay, so we’re doing a Hollywood film.

What was your role in it?
So basically, it’s three leads in the film Rizana – A Caged Bird. It’s Jeremy, me, and another girl called, Vidushika, who plays Rizana. It’s a true story that happened in Saudi Arabia. A Sri Lankan girl got beheaded in Saudi Arabia. It’s her story of what exactly happened and what are the events that follow. It’s based on a true story, where I play the human rights activist in the film and Jeremy plays the lawyer. So, it’s between three of us. The film is directed by Chandran Rutnam and is based on the true story of Rizana Nafeeq, a Sri Lankan maid who faced execution in Saudi Arabia.

What are the upcoming projects?
I’m doing lots of movies in Telugu. None of them have names yet, but shoots are already on. We have completed two Telugu films and now I’m starting off a film with People Media Factory, which is a kind of a dark comedy. So, I’m looking forward to that when I go back to Hyderabad tomorrow. I’m also starting to shoot for another new film. So, lots of Telugu cinema in the pipeline. And in the Tamil, my film Phoenix was released recently that got good reviews. I’m also hearing some good scripts and waiting for something to excite me for me to say okay.

What is your fitness regime?
I play a lot of sports. I play pickleball a lot. And my husband drags me to the gym because I’m not a gym person at all, but I like pilates. I fractured my hand in March and now since last one month I’ve been getting back to my fitness regime slowly.

Rapid fire.

Tea or coffee?
Neither.

Beach or mountains?
Beach.

Books or movies?
Movies.

Early morning or late nights?
Early mornings.

Dogs or cats?
Dogs.

Gym or yoga?
Pilates.

Straight hair or curls?
Doesn’t matter.

One word your friends used to describe you?
Naughty.

A superpower you’d love to have?
Snap and eliminate half of the world like Thanos.

Your guilty pleasure movie?
Sirens on Netflix. I really enjoyed Adolescence too.

Your favourite movie?
My favourite is Nayakan and a lot of classic films like Troy and The Shawshank Redemption.

What’s next on your bucket list?
Africa. I want to go see the wildlife.

Any nutrition or diet regime you follow?
I’m a meat-eating person, so I eat a lot of protein. By default, I eat a lot of meat, so all my protein intake is taken care of.

What’s the most romantic thing Nicholai has done for you?
Nick is totally romantic. For our first anniversary with a lot of surprises. I was shooting, so he sent me 3,000 roses and a singer on the shoot location who was singing some songs for me with a guitar and when I got back home, he surprised me with the whole house decorated with roses. There was a chef from my favourite restaurant in Hyderabad who laid out a five-course dinner for us. So that was sweet of him.